Soaps In Depth
January 7, 2003
Passion's Plaything
What is Nora’s man doing in Lindsay’s arms?
Nora’s the happiest gal in Llanview this week when it looks as if her dreams are about to come true. But every silver lining has a cloud, and in this case it’s a thunderhead called Lindsay!
Nora Makes a Shocking Discover!
As the week begins, Nora is becoming a little suspicious of Troy. First, she learns that he and Lindsay were in the jewelry store at the same time, then Sam tells her that he spied the duo in a confrontation. Her curiosity piqued, the legal eagle lets herself into the doc’s office and begins snooping through drawers. That’s when she stumbles upon something that Troy has gone to great lengths to hide – a diamond engagement ring! Overwhelmed by her discovery, Nora fails to notice that her beau also has hidden his marriage certificate with late wife Joanna in the same place!
“Nora just feels badly about finding the ring,” explains her portrayer, Hillary B. Smith. “Of course she tells him about it, and then he proposes. She says, ‘Oh God, this doesn’t work. I’ve forced your hand here,’ but then he tells her that he actually planned to give it to her that day.”
As it turns out, Troy isn’t miffed at all when Nora accidentally stumbles upon the sparkler. “At first, he’s not sure what she’s found,” says Ty Treadway (Troy), “He’s afraid that she’s found the marriage certificate, so when it turns out that she’s just found the ring, he’s relieved!”
Having dodged yet another bullet, Troy tells Nora how much he adores her, and they make love. When she agrees to become his wife, neither notices that Lindsay is watching them through the window.
The Wedding Planner
While Lindsay vows there will never be a wedding, Nora is on cloud nine. “She’s totally and utterly head over heels in love,” says Smith. “From her perspective, there’s an honesty there, a chemistry and obviously a sexual attraction. This is a new lease on life for her. He is a great doctor, and there is so much to respect and love about him. Matthew loves Troy, and Sam seems okay, too, so the world is good.
“At this point, Nora still doesn’t know that he’s ever been married,” Smith continues. “She only knows that there was a woman he was once in love with and it didn’t work out. End of subject. She even tells him, ‘Let’s plan this big wedding, since it’s going to be your first and only wedding.’ She’s blissfully unaware of anything that’s going on between Lindsay and Troy. In fact, Lindsay is so far off of Nora’s radar right now. She feels really strongly that Lindsay cannot touch her.” Talk about your famous last words!
Desperate Times, Desperate Measures
Even as Nora is concentrating on her rosy future, Lindsay proves herself to be a major thorn in Troy’s side. Furious about the engagement, the jealous blonde goes to see the object of her desire and winds up in a major confrontation with him.
Soon, Troy finds himself having to play upon Lindsay’s only weakness: her desire for him! “She ends up becoming more vulnerable than she thought she could be,” previews Catherine Hickland (Lindsay). “Even though her actions started out as revenge, I think there is a very deep sexual attraction that Troy doesn’t want to acknowledge. She’s hoping that it can be more on an emotional level, because she’s so needy.”
Unfortunately for her, Troy knows only too well just how needy she is, and realizes that it just might play to his advantage. “He’s in a situation where he’s doing things he’s not really proud of,” admits Treadway. “By doing so, he digs himself into a deeper hole.”
As is often the case, anger soon turns to something more when next week, Troy finds himself locked in a situation of which Nora definitely wouldn’t approve: He’s locked in a passionate kiss with Lindsay! But is it genuine emotion bubbling to the surface, or is this Troy’s idea of a good way to keep Lindsay quiet? That said, two questions remain: How long can Troy keep Nora in the dark, and just how far is he willing to go to do so?
